This invention relates to a reel assembly for winding cord. Specifically, this invention relates to a reel assembly for controlling and maneuvering a kite.
In the prior art a reel assembly for use in kite flying generally includes a single handle for supporting the reel assembly. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,434,479 granted to R. R. Allen on Feb. 15, 1946, shows a reel assembly with a single handle extending from and coaxial with the axis of a spool. U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,887 granted to C. E. Wheeler on May 8, 1973, discloses a reel having a single handle perpendicularly alligned with the axis of a spool. When using the above-mentioned types of reels for kite flying, the user is required to hold the reel in one particular position. No means is provided for comfortably holding these reels in a variety of positions. In addition, the prior art reels are not particularly well adapted for facilitating maneuvering and control of a kite. This is particularly important when using a reel during conditions of high velocity winds where a great deal of effort is often required by an operator to maneuver and to maintain control of a kite so that an operator may quickly become fatigued when using a prior art reel.
It is often advantageous when flying a kite to have a clutch arrangement for the kite-reel spool so that either the spool can be freely rotated to release or rewind cord or the spool can be locked to aid in controlling the kite. U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,027 granted to Y. C. Wong on Mar. 28, 1972, discloses a thumb-operated spool ratchet clutch arrangement located intermediate a handle portion and an axle extension of a kite reel. It would be advantageous to have a kite-flying control reel which permits the spool clutch to be operated in a variety of operator positions.
Prior art kite-flying control reels generally have spool-winding means which include a crank handle attached to the cord spool; gearing arrangements to improve winding speed are generally not provided, particularly releasably engageable gearing means.